Required Disclaimer: All characters and concepts unique to the Kim Possible television series and movies are the property of the Mouse House. The author of RSVP makes no claims—creative, financial, or other to those copyrights within the framework of this story: it is fanfiction and is make available on a limited and not-for-profit basis for entertainment purposes, only.


Chapter Twenty Eight – Dust to Dust

"I imagine you're wondering why I've called this meeting," Mastermind said, her electronically altered voice tuned to a lower, more sinister register. "It is time, of course, for a progress report but, first, I feel it necessary to address some recent concerns…"

Professor Dementor exchanged uneasy glances with DNAmy. The other villains in the room—or to be more accurate now, minions—shifted uneasily in their chairs. Other chairs—now empty—added to the overall feeling of uneasiness in the room.

"Lately my timetables have been compromised by surprising bouts of incompetence," Mastermind continued, turning her masked face to stare at the diminutive mad scientist. "The escape of the Flanner girl along with the theft of the pan dimensional vortex inducer was bad enough—"

Dementor opened his mouth to protest that it was Motor Ed Lipsky's fault for both but closed it again as their leader continued: "—but weeks have gone by and neither has been recovered yet!"

Dementor could think of no fresh excuses and all of the previous ones only served to enrage their masked master all the more. He wisely (for once) kept his mouth shut.

"But even more disturbing than certain people's incompetence," the diatribe continued, "are the instances of disloyalty that I have recently uncovered. It seems that Fukushima was not only withholding information from me but pursuing his own separate agenda at the expense of my plans and intel. Although his demise was violent, it was far more merciful than the fate that would have awaited him if I had gotten my hands on him first!"

The others nodded thoughtfully and repressed shivers as they recalled the footage Mastermind's surveillance cameras had provided in last night's debriefing.

"Although that traitor is beyond my reach, I have obtained a great deal of useful intel from two of his people that we were able to extract before the authorities arrived."

The curtain behind Mastermind's floating throne began to part, revealing two Asian men chained to sturdy chairs. Both were naked, both had wires running to their genitals, and both looked like a hundred miles of bad road.

As the curtains opened wider the rest of the tableau came into view. Electronique was spread-eagled across a tilted platform of horizontal metal bars. Thick metal cuffs held her wrists and ankles to the device and were connected to the same wires that were fastened to the unfortunate ninjas. She had been stripped of all of her clothing and gear, including her filtered goggles and she kept her eyes squinched tightly shut against the painful spectrum of ambient radiation that was invisible to everyone else.

"And there is a certain poetic justice in having my former assistant…assist…in prying that information loose. Edward? Again!"

A bristle-headed Motor Ed dipped a ladle into a bucket atop a small table near the tilted rack that held the cerulean criminal in the form of a St. Andrew's cross. Moving to her side, he raised the ladle over her squirming, twisting form and tipped it slightly so that a tiny stream of water fell in short bursts. It splashed across her pert breasts and the rippled flatness of her torso. Electronique arched up and forward as sparks danced across her blue-grey skin like red and purple fireflies. Her mouth distorted in an exaggerated grimace but, if she made any sound, it was downed out by the screams of the two bound ninjas who were wired into this short-circuiting power source in a most unfortunate way.

"We know nothing more!" one of the men gasped when the water and the sparks evaporated away with a slight sizzling sound.

"It was our duty to serve our master and obey his orders," moaned the other. "Our contract was with him, not with you. It is not our fault if you are displeased with his actions.

"I know," Mastermind said. "And I think that you have given me all that I need."

"S—so—you'll release us?"

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid your master has incurred a debt that still must be paid. I've already promised Dr. Amy Hall that you will help her with her…research. Edward? Use the rest of the bucket before sending them down to the lab. But take your time. I want it to last and I want them all to survive." Mastermind pressed the button to close the curtains. "For now…

"Kim Possible is on her way back to Middleton," Mastermind informed the rest of her troops. Everything needs to be perfect for the mother and child reunion." Mastermind paused and her gloved hands tightened on the armrests of Felix Renton's hovering wheelchair. "There has been a slight change to the parameters of my master plan. Dr. Anne Possible is not to be killed or harmed. If it can be helped." There were several brief glances exchanged between the minions but no overt reactions were in evidence. "You all have been given new instructions in sealed envelopes with your briefings," she continued. "I want you to open those envelopes now and read—"

A new round of screaming began from behind the curtains. Both the voices and the sizzling and popping sounds were much louder this time.

"—read them elsewhere!" Mastermind shouted to be heard over the sudden din. "Dismissed!"

RSVP

"Excuse me, Miss…"

Kim Possible looked up from her copy of In Flight magazine. "Yes?"

The flight attendant was holding out a headset. "May I offer you some headphones?"

Kim considered the scant amount of money left for cab fare from the Middleton airport and shook her head. "No thanks."

"Miss Possible? There's no charge for you. After what you did for our airlines last year…"

"Oh, it was no big. Anyone…" She paused as she racked her brain. "I'm sorry; I don't remember doing anything for—"

"Um—the Lowardian Invasion," the flight attendant offered. "I said 'the airline' because you saved us by saving the rest of the world." And she practically forced the headset into the redhead's hands.

"Oh. Well. Uh, okay, then." She looked at the unusual headset. "Uh, how do I plug it in?"

"Its wireless. Just place it over your head and ears and close your eyes. There may be up to thirty seconds delay as it scans for the proper frequency. Be patient. I think you'll find it to be a totally unique experience!"

Kim smiled and placed the unusual headphones over her head, pulling back her fiery mane so that her ears were uncovered to receive the oddly shaped earpieces. There was a slight hiss emanating from the tiny speakers and she could barely hear the flight attendant as she repeated her instructions to allow a little time for frequency tuning and adjustments. The woman moved on down the aisle and out of Kim's sightlines as she settled back in her window seat.

There was some sort of distant music in the background…and…were those voices? Whispering. It was hard to tell as the static hiss persisted. The sound was not unpleasant, though. Almost soothing…like white noise…drowning out the distracting sounds of the passenger jet's engines and the conversations of the people around her.

The "flight attendant" returned a few moments later and sat down in the seat next to Kim. She no longer looked like the woman who had provided the odd headgear. She looked like the passenger who had sat next to Kim up until ten minutes ago when she had excused herself for a trip to the lavatory. Had Kim had been alert she might have noticed that her fellow traveler's clothing was slightly different from her attire just ten minutes before.

But Kim Possible was no longer aware of anything but the voices that were whispering deep inside her cerebral cortex.

Her seat mate surreptitiously checked her pulse and smiled. So far, so good. If all went according to plan, Mastermind had promised that she would be reunited with her precious Debutante.

Then she would plot their escape from that masked megalomaniac!

RSVP

It seemed like she had been typing for hours and yet she still had nothing to show for it.

She had typed it every old password that she could remember. Every new password that seemed likely: birthdays, nicknames, pets, social security numbers, locker combinations, D&D character names…nothing worked. If only she could think of some way to decipher the security protocols on the tower's supercomputer.

"You could just ask us for the password, you know," said the unexpected voice behind her.

Shego whirled from the keyboard, her right hand flaring green. "Hego!" she exclaimed, taking in the muscle-bound man in the night-cap and pajamas.

"Sis," he reciprocated, then nodded at the GO-Tower's supercomputer screen. "Surfing the web?"

"Trying to access the Threat Assessment Database," she said, trying and almost succeeding at keeping a snarl out of her voice.

"Well, you know that's a Go Team asset. Are you rejoining?"

"What do you think?"

He turned and left the room.

She went back to trying every conceivable variation on the passwords that she had already tried.

Hego reappeared a few minutes later, minus the sleeping-cap and carrying two cups of coffee. "Tell me," he said, offering a cup to her.

She stared at the cup, frowned, and then accepted it with a half smile, half grimace. "Remember Ron Stoppable? Kim Possible's sid—partner?"

Her big brother nodded. "Both up and disappeared last year."

"Yeah. Well. He's back. And someone's put a contract out on him. Tried an abduction at the hospital. Blew up his parents' home."

Hego whistled. "Saw something on the news. Didn't make the connection. Anybody hurt?"

"His parents are dead. Also half of the Possible family. The father and the two boys. Kim's mother is in the hospital. They say her career as a neurosurgeon is over."

"And you want to use the T-A Database to build an unsub file?"

She nodded curtly.

He leaned in and peered closely. "You seem to be taking this personally."

"Just give me the damn password," she snarled.

He leaned back. "I'd be glad to. Except I can't."

"Can't? Or won't?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Can't, actually," he said, moving to the table that dominated the room and sitting down. "Mego set it up and then refused to share it with the rest of us. Wanted to be sure that he was indispensible, I guess."

"He has control issues—among other things," she said, defrosting a little. "All right, get him down here. Or do I need to go up and drag his magenta ass out of bed, myself?"

"He's…not here."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know," the blue man answered. "He took off a few days ago, saying he needed to find himself or something. It's just me and the twins right now and none of us have been able to access the computer." He cleared his throat. "It would mean a lot if you were to come back—help us out. Even if just for a little while. Global Justice has plenty of agents and operatives. We're just…family."

Her look softened but her voice remained implacable. "I've got an assignment I can't abandon right now. Maybe when it's done we can talk."

"That would be great." He smiled. "Want me to wake the boys? They'd love to see their big sis…"

Now she smiled a little more. "Especially since I'm not so evil anymore?"

"You mean not evil. Not so evil implies—"

"I know what it implies." She grinned wolfishly. "Let's save the family reunion for another time. I feel like I'm on a ticking clock and time's running out. Did Mego give any clues as to where he might be going? What kind of mood was he in when he left? Did he pack for a few days or an extended leave?"

Hego shrugged his massive shoulders. "None of us had a face-to-face goodbye. He left a note and disappeared while we were out shopping. As for packing? It doesn't look like he took anything with him. Luggage is all accounted for and his personal effects, toiletries, even his cell phone—are still in his room."

Shego stared at her big brother and waited until the twin urges to scream and rip his head off had mostly passed. "Was the goodbye note in his handwriting?" she finally asked.

"Yes. Well—no. He typed it into the computer. Into the screensaver. We were finally able to access that and change it back to the GO display."

"Well, big brother," she said wearily rising from the computer console, "there's no point in dusting the keyboard for prints at this point. I'm sure we've all obliterated any evidence who really typed that note."

"What do you mean?"

"Mego didn't leave that message and the self-absorbed twit didn't take off on a journey of self discovery. He was kidnapped!"

"That's just silly. If he was kidnapped there would have been a ransom note."

The newly minted Global Justice operative sighed. "Call it an abduction then. I'll file a report and you can expect GJ visit sometime within the next twenty-four hours. Do everything you can to cooperate with them, Hego. Mego may be in great danger."

"Aren't you going to head this up yourself?"

"I've got a bad feeling that I already am…"

RSVP

Rabbi Katz watched the lawyers depart the hospital room like a solemn parade with briefcases. "Well, Ronald," he said, turning to the young man lying in the hospital bed, "they tell me that you're scheduled to be discharged this afternoon. The attorneys couldn't wait?"

Ron smiled. It was quiet and contemplative, a marked contrast to his former goofy grin. "I have a great deal to do in a short time," he answered. My parents' funeral and their business affairs. My financial and business affairs. I want to pick up Hana from family services as soon as possible so I need to think about where we're going to live."

"Between the insurance, your parents' estate and your Naco royalties, I rather imagine that you can live anywhere you want."

Ron gave his head a little shake. "Makes it harder, not easier. Everything's changed. Everything's different, now. I have to make sure that she's happy and safe! I'm sort of torn between changing our names and disappearing entirely or making sure that anyone involved with what happened is never able to threaten us again."

Katz repressed a shiver. As a rabbi he had felt the presence of Evil before. There was a presence in the room now. It wasn't Evil…but it was powerful, implacable, and determined in a way that promised dire consequences to any that drew its ire.

"Well, it must be nice," the rabbi continued a little nervously, "to know that you'll never have to work another day in your life."

Again that slight headshake. "I can't imagine a life without active purpose, Rabbi. And what kind of example would that set for little Hana? No, I have an idea of what I'm going to do. And I've got appointments with several realtors the day after I'm done sitting shivah."

Rabbi Katz laid a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Well, a word of advice if I may, Ronald? Pace yourself. The deaths of one's parents are a major event in one's life, no matter the circumstances or at what age. Raising a child as a single parent—that's huge! Take the time that you need—and then take more time that you don't think that you need but will. You have the rest of your life ahead of you so don't be too impatient or impetuous right now. And let your friends help. The congregation is here for you. And I've sure that all of your friends will jump at the chance to help out in any way…"

He glanced over at the three women dressed in hospital scrubs.

"Um, Ronald, I can't help but notice that you have three nurses in your hospital room and that they have been standing there for well over an hour. Are they waiting for something?"

"It is time for Ron Stoppable's sponge bath," Dede answered.

"Oh. Ah. Well, if you don't need anything else right now, I guess I'll be going." Rabbi Katz started for the door, bemused at the mental image of three beautiful nurses giving the young man an intimate wash. Were he not a man of God, the image in his mind could easily morph into a pornographic fantasy. Don't think! He scolded himself, change subject!

"Oh, Ronald, I almost forgot," he said, pausing at the threshold. "Dr. Possible has asked if you want to have some sort of joint service or memorial."

Ron looked slightly surprised. "Why?"

RSVP

The service was beautiful but strange and awkward, all the same.

Ron had arranged for a large urn to be filled with ashes from the living room where Dr. Possible had last seen his parents before the explosions. It seemed odd that the ashes of the couch, the drapes, lamps, and even the remains of the other Dr. Possible and their sons might be mixed in with the Stoppable remains.

Because there were no recoverable bodies, there had been no Shmirah, no Taharah, Tachrichim, or Aron. In accordance with the funeral mitzvahs, Ron had been declared Onen and relieved of much of the ceremonial burdens of his parents' Shivah.

Because there were no bodily remains and the contents of the urn were suspect or "contaminated" under Jewish law, there would be no K'vurah or burial. Just this memorial service and a commemorative stone that would be laid on the property where his parents' house once stood. Ron would not rebuild there. He planned on making it into a "pocket park" where the neighborhood could come and sit under the trees that would be planted, among the flowers that would be tended, and enjoy the small pond that would be installed with an illuminated fountain.

During the chanting of the psalms and the Eyl Malei Rahamim, his thoughts drifted to his memories of his parents over the years and he was surprised to find that many of them were somewhat distant. Cataloging them he realized that his parents were often absent and that many key events in his life had been observed or celebrated alone…

No…

Not alone. Not always.

Red hair and…he realized that he had other parental memories. A tall man with a pipe that he never seemed to smoke. Twin boys running about like younger siblings. And…and…red hair…with green eyes—no—blue…a woman…

Dr. Possible.

Anne…that was her name.

She had been like a…mother? Best friend! To him…

He glanced over and up. It had been decades since the sheer drapes and curtains had been removed from the Ezrat Nashim in the side balcony. Even with her head covered and her face bowed he could see her from his pew on the main floor. Why was she here? Didn't she have her own funerals to attend? He felt the warmth of unaccustomed gratitude that she would come today of all days, to honor his parents…that she would do this for them.

And him.

He frowned as he recalled the incident at the hospital. He had rejected her offer to take shelter at her house because he had assumed that it would not be safe for others to be in his proximity. But the assassin who had infiltrated the hospital's security had bypassed his room and sought out Dr. Possible, instead. It was fortunate that Dr. Drakken had had a premonition and convinced him and Dr. Director to loan one of Dr. Porter's robots to provide the extra security for Dr. Possible's stay…

Man, that's four "doctors" in the mix, he thought with a wry smile.

Then he frowned as he considered the larger implications.

He had assumed that Fukushima's presence meant that he was the focus of the death and mayhem at his parents' home. He had assumed that the Possible family were merely innocent victims by random association. But the attempt on Dr. Possible's life at the hospital suggested something more complex.

And that the danger had not ended with the rogue ninja's death.

He sighed softly. He was perplexed when he tried to think back over the enemies he might have made as he'd traveled the globe helping people. Strangely, those memories were muddled and confused.

Chalk it up to being tired. Or "shock" as the doctors at the hospital had told him. And not just from his injuries but the cascade of loss he had suffered with the deaths of his wife and unborn daughter as well as his parents.

Turning his attention back to Dr. Possible—Anne—he wondered who the redheaded girl was who sat next to her. He dimly remembered that she had a daughter…a classmate of his back in high school, apparently. It was hard to believe that she was that old…

What was the girl's name? Kat? Kit? Kira? Kay? Kris? Something…he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The girl was staring at him.

What was her damage? The expression on her face suggested it was his fault there were two memorial services today.

Well, who cared what some stranger's issues were: he had bigger concerns than some strange girl's ish. And right now it would be disrespectful to not give his full attention to the hesped that Rabbi Katz was about to deliver.

RSVP

Out in the synagogue parking lot Dr. Director was in the middle of a three-way. Conversation, that is.

"You told him?" she asked through clenched teeth in an effort to keep her voice down to an acceptable level outside the memorial service. "What part of undercover assignment did you not understand?"

Kyoko Yoshiko adjusted the sling that held Hana comfortably against her torso and placed her free hand on her hip.

"Please, Madame Director; the man is not the fool we all once thought he was! He has grown up very fast this past year and his—whatever you call this mysterious factor—gives him the power to read people as if he has extra powers and senses the rest of us can scarcely imagine."

"Yes, but—"

"He knew me from before when I was assigned to Nakasumi. If he did not already know that I am a Global Justice agent, he had to have had his suspicions. For me to turn up as the Family Services monitor is just way too coincidental.

"He needs help," she continued. "His sister needs a nanny. And, to hear him talk, he is convinced that he needs a bodyguard for the child, as well. For heaven's sake, you think he needs a bodyguard, too. It is easier for him to accept me for whom and what I am than to try to worm my way in as some civil servant paper pusher. You get what you want, he gets what he wants, and I do not have to lie to him." She shivered a little. "I do not think that would go well—lying to him."

"Are you worried, Yoshi? Because you volunteered for this assignment."

"I am not—afraid—of Stoppable-san. I just do not wish to treat him with disrespect or dishonor."

"Well maybe you should be afraid, Ms. Kyoko," Cece said. The former B-bot's head turned, her eyes blinked, and her mouth opened and closed but the voice that emerged belonged to Wade Load, joining the conversation from his bedroom in a secured Global Justice safe house. "Ron's not himself, these days."

"In many ways, I'd say he's an improvement," Betty said. But her furrowed brow expressed her own reservations.

Cece shook her head—her features and movements so lifelike that the only reminder that she was an artificial being was the incongruity of Dr. Load's voice passing through her lovely lips. "It's not just his reserve and the emotional distance—we've all talked about the fading of—um—his essential Ron-ness. He seems to have suffered some sort of Dissociative Retrograde Amnesia. It may be disassociated and specific in nature…"

"Kim…" Dr. Director mused.

"Specifically, I would say so, yes," the temporary and extremely hot "Wadebot" agreed. "And not just Kim. I've spoken with Ron a couple of times since—well—his return and he seems puzzled about Dr. Possible's efforts to reach out to him. I think she's too distracted by her own grief to fully realize it but Ron barely remembers her. The Possible family practically raised him and all that he seems to remember is that she's the mother of some girl who went to his high school."

"If his amnesia is specific to Kim—and, therefore, her family by association," Yoshi said, "it suggests emotional or psychological triggers as opposed to some sort of head injury or physiological trauma."

"Has Kim contacted Ron since she returned last night?"

"No ma'am," Cece/Wade answered the Director. "Not as far as I know, anyway. Ron's made no mention of it and Kim has yet to call me. Her kimmunicator is still deactivated and I've only spoken very briefly to Dr. Possible this morning."

"So what do we know?" Betty asked.

"Anne's pretty low. I mean, she lost her husband and the twins, sure. But I think she's suffering PTSD from her attack and pain-killers she's taking for her injuries ain't mood elevators. Kim's return was a godsend. I think it's the only thing propping her up right now. I just hope…"

"What?" Dr. Director wanted to know.

"I don't know…" Wade raised Cece's hand to her chin. "Something feels off. I mean, both of them—Ron and Kim—disappeared for the better part of a year. We know some of the stuff that Ron's been through, but Kim…I dunno. They're both disconnected. From us. From each other."

"That's not too surprising, given the circumstances," Yoshi offered.

"Yeah…but…I don't know how to describe this any other way than to say that my Spidey-sense is tingling in the worst way possible!"

"It might be appropriate to bring them both in for official debriefings," the Director mused. "Both of them were serving Global Justice in an auxiliary role when they disappeared. I could bring them both in for separate interviews and then put them in a room together and see what happens. Have a staff psychologist and a couple of counselors on hand for both occasions."

"It may have to wait a few days," Cece/Wade opined. "Ron's shivah starts today.

RSVP

Ron was bone weary.

The pain-killers had worn off hours ago and his feet and lower legs throbbed from the accelerated healing of the burns to his lower extremities. He supposed he could have skipped the funeral and the graveside service for the Possible family as he barely knew them…but something down deep inside compelled him to go. In retrospect, he probably should have gone home and sent flowers and a card.

The Possible girl was positively spooky. Though it probably wasn't personal regarding him. He had overheard her friends and classmates remark on her distant and off-putting demeanor, as well.

But then he had the misfortune to be standing next to Anne as the three coffins were lowered into the ground. Even though they were empty, save for a symbolic scattering of ashes, she had turned and clung to him much in the way that a drowning woman hangs on to the side of a lifeboat lest she be pulled down to her own oblivion. Past her shoulder, he could see Mrs. Possible's daughter take a step back. And the expression on the girl's face promised some sort of reckoning for his presumption in holding her mother so.

Now, as he rode up to his suite in the hotel elevator, he forced himself to acknowledge his temporary nanny for Hana.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," he told Mr. Nakasumi's former assistant. "Cutting through the red tape and accelerating Hana's release from Family Services into my custody. Today would have been impossible without your help. I promise to pay you very well for your time."

"I'm not worried," Ms. Kyoko said softly.

"Yeah, well, it's hard to find a twenty-four hour nanny-slash-bodyguard on short-notice."

"Oh, Stoppable-san; you and your American-style humor!"

Ron stopped in mid-yawn and his head snapped up. "I'm sorry—what?"

"I said: renting the penthouse suite was probably a bit of overkill. Most of the suites have a comfortable fold-out couch."

He shook his head. "While you're staying with us, you're getting your own bed and your own room. Plus I need a base of operations until I find the right real estate. Plus, the private elevator affords us an extra layer of security. At least I know I won't be walking into a darkened hotel room with somebody waiting for me in the shadows.

The elevator door opened and they stepped into the darkened penthouse suite where somebody was waiting for Ron in the shadows…


ABOUT THE TITLE: "Dust to Dust" is the bookend to the phrase (and title of the previous chapter): "Ashes to Ashes." Fittingly, the funeral services have been held for the Possible and Stoppable families in this chapter. If only these were the last funerals in the story…


REVIEWS FOR CHAPTER 28

CajunBear73 7/22/11 . chapter 28

So Mastermind's found out about Fukushima's deception and Electronique's too? Man she just can't catch a break.

Mastermind or Electronique?

But I wonder who sat with Kim and what she's planted in her head, courtesy of her 'boss'.

Maybe the rewrites have made it a little clearer: Camille Leon. As for wjat was planted? You'll have to wait a bit longer for the answer…

The distance observed in Ron, and now Kim, of each other and towards Anne hopefully will cause a little more in-depth look.

But now there's someone hiding at Ron's; friend or foe?

CB73

Depending on how you might look at it, the answer could be: both! (Grin) Your other questions may have to wait beyond the next chapter but you will have those answers soon…ish. R~13


Pavelius 7/22/11 . chapter 28

You are evil...

Well, duh! I've already admitted to it more than once…

Is Yoshiko the renewed Yori? because this last line is a very heavy hint towards it...

Is it? (Whistles innocently)

And i guess that Mastermind will try to play Kim against Ron via autosuggestion...

But because you said you wont reply to theories and speculations... i just let this standing here..

(Whew! I almost cracked…)

Keep it up

Pavel

Sorry Pavel, I do love it when my readers throw out their theories here. Sometimes they're right, sometimes they're wrong, sometimes they're somewhere in the neighborhood, and sometimes they give me new ideas that show up later… And yes, you are absolutely correct—I AM evil! Ah boo-ya-ha-ha-ha! R~13


Sentinel103 2/23/12 . chapter 28

Somebody is waiting for them in the shadows? Hummmm sounds ominous. CB renting himself out...uh you know what that sounds like? I mean as an editor.

And Rippy if you think you're behind in your reading, you ought to see the mess I have.

Are you saying that you can "stack it" higher than I can? ;-)

OK Ron's selective amnesia is gonna get old...yeah I know you want to have fun with this. Now I wonder how did the bad guys know what flight Kim was gonna be on...also are we sure that the Kim who went to the service is not Camille or a synthodrone?

How did Mastermind know what flight Kim would be on? To be honest, I didn't think that it was important enough to the narrative to put it in. One of my weaknesses in past projects has been to overload my stories with details that bog down the forward momentum. But, this is what's cool about this forum: you get feedback as you go and learn what the readers are thinking (and wondering). So I've slipped in that little bit of background but you'll have to wait until Chapter 31 to get to it.

As for the Kim at the service? Good question!

And does Betty want Kim and Ron to face each other...I mean ole Betts might find herself in a cold bed again.

?

And the search is on for Mego...and how long has it taken to figure out he might have been messed with...mannn some members of Team Go are a little slow.

The Wegos are too young to be expected to do the thinking for the adults. And Hego—I got nothing'…

Enough observations for now...

Larry (Sentinel 103)

While I still lack a beta-reader, other readers have also contributed through their reviews and, especially, PMs from time to time. Lately, Larry (Sentinel103) has been busting my chops (in a good way) so thanks to all of you who take the time to respond, review, or ask the occasional question—like whatever happened to—or when will—or are you going to—or why didn't—

Herding cats: sometimes you need a couple of extra trail-hands on the drive…

As for selective amnesia...I'm sorry, what was the question?

:-)

R~13


Some Dude 8/26/13 . chapter 28

I'm wondering... is that really Kim? Has mastermind hypnotized her in some way... or has she been kidnapped and replaced?

Good questions. But I'm not telling. Yet. R~13


SlayerX86chapter 28 . 4/17/14

Sigh ... All powerful Ron but still keeps losing family . Seems more like a useless Ron . Saving a million people is all good but what does his power matter if he can't save the people most important to him .

Isn't this the theme of most superhero tales? They can save so many but not the ones that matter most to them. Think about it: DC or Marvel will back me up on this…

Also these synthodrones are such cheat sheets . The story seems to be based on the effects of doppelgangers on the lives of the originals .

And…you're saying…this is a bad thing? R~13


PyroNaga chapter 28 . 7/18/14

'Someone in the shadows...' hmmm, well let's see, the Uptodian assassin is due to return to the story so that's my theory. (Btw, The creation of the race was a pretty creative conclusion on your behalf. There are lowardians, so of course they must have a punny counterpart. lol)

Well, of course. If there's a Lowerton, Middleton, and Upperton then, given the established existance of aliens from "Lowardia", one might expect their opposite numbers to hail from a place with a name like "Uptopia." The real question is: is the "Middleton" equavalent "Earth" or is there a third alien race that comes between the other two? Midoria? Hmmmmm...

So, the puppet master has a new doll to play with, eh?

Which one?

And yet, you once said that he is just the 'warm up villain'.

Remember, we've pretty much established that Mastermind is a "she" now...

Even though i promised myself that i won't even peek at the second saga, i read the summary "...A transformed Kim lurks in the shadows with a dark agenda of her own..." but there was no mention of mastermind...
hmmm, *strokes imaginary beard* I'm gonna jump to a conclusion and say the mastermind is dealt with but he leaves a hi-wired and messed up Kim behind who will pose a naturally greater threat than her predecessor. (Just like star wars with Anakin skywalker)

Pavelius? Is that you?

P.S. oh and Rippy, you tend to get less lippy when our theories are actually right. Work on that, will ya? *wink* (Lippy Rippy. try saying that 5 times in a row. XD)

Viva Riplakish

Oh yeah? Well...you...you're...just wrong! (In sarcastic, lippy, tone of voice) In fact, if you had read the story more carefully, you'd see that Ned and Mastermind are never seen together at the same time! So there! Ha! Lippy Rippy! Lippy Rippy! Lippy Rippy! Lippy Rippy! Lippy Rippy! That proves...something...I think... LR~13